Information on U.S. Army helicopter UH-1D tail number 66-16492
The Army purchased this helicopter 0667
Total flight hours at this point: 00001915
Date: 08/15/1969
Incident number: 690815081ACD Accident case number: 690815081 Total loss or fatality Accident
Unit: A/25 AVN 25 INF
The station for this helicopter was Cu Chi in South Vietnam
Number killed in accident = 1 . . Injured = 1 . . Passengers = 1
costing 289345
Original source(s) and document(s) from which the incident was created or updated: Defense Intelligence Agency Helicopter Loss database. Army Aviation Safety Center database. Also: OPERA (Operations Report. )
Loss to Inventory
Crew Members:
AC W2 CE MITCHELL
P W1 GM FOSTER
CE E4 RL HASENBALG
G PFC LANDERS JACKY EUGENE KIA
Passengers and/or other participants:
O3 TF WHAT, FCO, G
Accident Summary:
THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING OUT OF CU CHI BASE CAMP, REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM, ON FLAMEBATH MISSIONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1430 HOURS THE CREW WAS SCRAMBLED FOR A FLAMEBATH MISSION IN SUPPORT OF ARVN FORCES IN TAY NINH PROVINCE. THE CREW CARRIED ONE FLAMEBATH SORTIE FROM CU CHI BASE CAMP NORTHWEST RESUPPLY. AFTER DROPPING THAT SORTIE, THEY PROCEEDED TO TAY NINH WEST AND LOADED THEIR SECOND FLAMEBATH SORTIE. AFTER DROPPING THEIR SECOND SORTIE THE CREW RETURNED TO TAY NINH WEST FOR THEIR THIRD SORTIE. NO CONTACT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED WITH THE TAY NINH WEST FLAMEBATH CONTROLLING AGENCY CONSEQUENTLY, THERE HAD BEEN NO GROUND CREW AT THE FLAMEBATH SITE TO ASSIST IN ATTACHING THE FLAMEBATH BARRELS TO THE CARGO HOOK. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT ARRIVED TO PICK UP THE FINAL SORTIE, THE PILOT, AS DONE ON THE PREVIOUS SORTIE, SET THE AIRCRAFT DOWN AND LET HIS CREW CHIEF OFF TO LOAD THE AIRCRAFT. THE CREW CHIEF DIRECTED THE PILOT TO A POSITION OVER THE FLAMEBATH LOAD AND HOOKED THE ROPE TO THE CARGO HOOK, MEANWHILE, THE GUNNER HAD DISENGAGED HIS SEAT BELT AND WAS LEANING OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT SO THAT HE COULD WATCH THE BARRELS AND GUIDE THE PILOT. AFTER HOOKING UP THE CARGO, THE CREW CHIEF CLIMBED ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT WHILE IT WAS STILL AT A HOVER. HE PLUGGED IN THE MIKE CORD AND AT APPROXIMATELY THE SAME INSTANT, BOTH HE AND THE GUNNER NOTICED THE BARRELS WERE FALLING FROM THE ROPES AND THE FLARES ATTACHED TO THEM HAD IGNITED. THE GUNNER INFORMED THE PILOTS OF WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE AND THEY ATTEMPTED TO CLEAR THE AREA. THE PILOT NOSED THE AIRCRAFT OVER IN AN EXCESSIVELY NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND AFTER TRAVELING SOME 25 METERS, HAD TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT TO AVOID STRIKING A DIRT MOUND IN HIS PATH (SEE TAB 9 PHOTOS) HIS FLARE WAS EXCESSIVE AND CAUSED HIM TO LOSE ANTI-TORQUE CONTROL. THE TAIL ROTOR STRIKE CAUSED PARTIAL SEPARATION OF THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR FROM THE TAIL SECTION. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED IN ITS FORWARD FLIGHT PATH TOWARD A LARGE WATER TRAILER (SEE TAB 9 PHOTOS) AND THE PILOT APPLIED RIGHT CYCLIC TO AVOID THE WATER TRAILER, THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIN TO THE RIGHT THROWING THE VERTICAL FIN AND TAIL ROTOR APPROXIMATELY SIXTY METERS (SEE TAB 9 PHOTOS) WHEN RIGHT CYCLIC WAS APPLIED AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIN, THE PILOT LOST CYCLIC CONTROL THIS CAUSED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO MAKE GROUND CONTACT ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT (SEE TAB 9 PHOTOS) WHEN THIS OCCURED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS THROWN FORWARD NOSE SPINNING TO THE LEFT COMING TO REST ON ITS LEFT SKID. THE TRANSMISSION WAS PULLED OUT OF THE TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY TWO METERS FROM THE MAIN PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT (SEE TAB 9 PHOTOS) THE GUNNER WAS STILL WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS STILL WITH THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS FOUND LYING NEXT TO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE CREW CHIEF HAD JUMPED FROM THE AIRCRAFT WHEN IT STARTED TO SPIN AND FOUND APPROXIMATELY TEN METERS FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE.\\
This record was last updated on 09/20/1998
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Date posted on this site: 11/13/2023
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